Shayna Baszler was one of the most dominant NXT Champions of all time during her time on the legendary black and gold brand, but she has yet to taste world title glory on the main roster.
The Submission Magician, a former MMA fighter with a 15-11 record, is in Perth on standby in case one of the women’s Elimination Chamber competitors can’t make it to the show.
But as one of Triple H’s brightest lights during his NXT days, now that The Game is the big boss, many fans are expecting more from Baszler.
It seemed like we had reached a turning point last summer when Baszler faced off against her real-life best friend, Ronda Rousey, at the Money in the Bank event in London.
The O2 Arena erupted around the bend and the pair were off to the races, but not without having to battle backstage for their big moment.
Rousey and Baszler had tasted tag team gold in WWE before they finally broke up.
“I think what made it great was that it was unexpected,” Baszler began.
“No one knows, but Ronda and I really fought so that we wouldn’t have TV mockery of us arguing in a game or getting angry. We didn’t want to have any hint of that happening.
“We had a little bit of back and forth about it, so when it happened in the moment and the place blew up inside, I thought, ‘Hell yeah, we were right!'”
‘So that was like a personal victory after fighting for it. “Ronda and I are not lying, we were dreaming about it for 10 years, it was great.”
Baszler would defeat Rousey in a one-on-one match at SummerSlam which would prove to be the latter’s last match in WWE for now. However, that meant their feud lasted just under three months.
The pair were friends long before WWE, from their time in MMA and UFC.
Rousey’s last fight in WWE was against her best friend, but she would not emerge victorious
‘I wish we could have done it over a longer period of time, but we had some time constraints.
“I’m proud of the work we did and I think in a few years people will look back on that and realize that you’re not going to find two people, not even in the men’s locker room, who can organize a game the way we did.” Baslzer insisted.
“I understand it was a stadium and in that particular stadium we had some limitations, like there was no jumbotron and it was difficult to see it live, but we knew we were doing this for the television audience.
‘This is something that will surely be appreciated more later. “It was our love letter to MMA in the language of professional wrestling.”
Was Rousey happy to lose to Baszler and leave her friend on the way out? Not quite.
Baszler scored a big win over Rousey at SummerSlam, but she didn’t keep that momentum going.
“I think if she were to lose to someone, it would be me that she would be the least unhappy with (laughs).”
For those fans hoping to see more of Baszler, they should be lucky with Triple H at the helm.
Not only is The Game a big supporter of Baszlers, but he has also championed women’s wrestling within WWE for years.
“I think the best way to explain it is that Triple H was there during my NXT career and I think that, along with the creativity there and with myself, I was able to maximize what I’m capable of,” Baszler explained.
‘Now he’s more familiar with what I do, who I am, what I say. I think it just makes the process easier. I think the best thing about Triple H is that he was on our side in the creative process.
He handles communication very well because he has been in our shoes and is now directing things. It’s just an easier process to get ideas and some exchanges and input on what’s going on.’
WWE Elimination Chamber will take place at Opus Stadium in Perth, Australia. Find out more about experiences in Western Australia. Visit Western Australia.com.